CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE GRAEF
The Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force is continuing an effort to get the word out about the problem of human trafficking in places like ours.
The group’s Past President, Stephanie Graef, tells RRN News that this is not just a big-city problem. She says people are being exploityed here in the Upper Peninsula, from workers in hotels not being paid their proper salaries to others being forced to do demeaning work in strip clubs, bars, and other service businesses.
January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month on a national level, and every week, there is a different theme that is being discussed. Week Two focused on people being eploited in the workplace.
A 24/7 confidential helpline, operated by the UPHTTF is available to the public to call or text for advocacy and help (906) 299-9243. If in immediate danger call 911. To find more information in ways you can help join the fight go to Home – Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force (upht123.org).
More on the topic is posted below:
Polaris analyzed more than 32,000 cases of human trafficking documented between December 2007 and December 2016 through its operation of the National Human Trafficking Hotline — one of the largest data sets on human trafficking in the United States ever compiled and publicly analyzed.
Polaris’s research team analyzed the data and developed a classification system that identifies 25 types of human trafficking in the United States. From sex trafficking within escort services to labor trafficking of farmworkers, the ways humans are exploited differ greatly. Each type has unique strategies for recruiting and controlling victims and concealing the crime.
Human traffickers exploit legitimate systems within multiple business sectors for their own profits. From traffickers who use banks to store their earnings and buses to move their victims around, to the hotel rooms that are integral to the operations of some sex traffickers.
Here are just four examples of the types of labor trafficking crimes committed here in Michigan that have been identified in the agriculture farming, faith based, marriage and massage parlor industries.
Lawsuit accusing Michigan blueberry farm of trafficking workers moves forward – mlive.com
Religious-leaders-who-used-physical-and-psychological-abuse to coerce victims
Inside the alleged forced labor, laundering scheme run by church leaders in Michigan, other states
Attorney General: AG Nessel Announces Labor Trafficking Charges in Three Rivers
Four-arrested-extensive-human-trafficking-operation-metro-detroit-massage-parlors
Here are some key actions to strengthen connections at work:
Provide human trafficking prevention training for staff to ensure they are aware of the risks and can respond appropriately.
- Develop clear protocols for responding to concerns about human trafficking or other abusive situations.
- Review policies and supplier practices to align with labor standards and ensure ethical operations.
- Encourage conversations with employees about human trafficking, healthy relationships, and safe boundaries.
- Promote resources that support safety, stability, and well-being within the workplace.
By implementing these actions, organizations can create a safer and more supportive work environment, making it harder for traffickers to isolate or manipulate employees. Please reach out to the U.P. Human Trafficking Task Force to request work force training and policy and protocol development.
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